


The Wandering Jedi: Prologue

by Masters_of_Time



Series: The Wandering Jedi [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Canon Compliant, Coruscant (Star Wars), F/M, Finn Needs A Hug (Star Wars), Fluff and Angst, Force-Sensitive Finn (Star Wars), Friends to Lovers, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Skywalker, Slow Burn, The Force
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23997238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masters_of_Time/pseuds/Masters_of_Time
Summary: One year after The Battle of Exegol and the fall of the First Order, Rey Skywalker spends time wandering the Galaxy in the Falcon getting into scrapes, and Finn takes some university classes. But the two find themselves lonely and aimless. So they decide to see the galaxy together, fight wrongs, see the sights they only heard about, and all around enjoy their time together.
Relationships: BB-8 & Rey, D-O & Rey (Star Wars), Finn & Rey (Star Wars), Finn/Rey (Star Wars), R2-D2 & Rey (Star Wars), Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: The Wandering Jedi [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730524
Comments: 14
Kudos: 10





	1. Docking a Historic Relic

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on an idea I had for a while and since there isn't much Sequel trilogy content out at the moment and since we're all stuck in self-isolation, I thought "what the hell?" And started writing this
> 
> Basically I felt that after the events of the ST, Rey would want to spend time seeing the galaxy before settling down and starting the new Jedi, and Finn would want to start his new life, but since both know only one way of life that they don't want to return to anyway, they have trouble adjusting and feel like they don't know what to do. So I was thinking they would turn to eachother for some answers, despite both being in the exact boat.
> 
> This is sorta like a Doctor Who/Valerian and Laureline-esque adventure series set in the SW galaxy with plenty of exploration, so I hope to utilize existing planets as well as some made up for this. 
> 
> But enough rambling, do enjoy!

Coruscant's spaceports became busier with the end of the war and the death of The First Order. More goods were being imported, and exported and people took advantage of the peaceful galaxy to travel.

One afternoon, an ancient ragged Correllian freighter landed at port 626 of the central port

"It's a miracle that it's still in one piece!" A technician quipped.

"Ah, ya know nuttin', lad!" His older colleague retorted "I've sailed on ships like that before. I tell you, Corellian's build 'em to take a beatin'!"

"Even still," the younger technician gaped "that thing should be in a museum! Or judging from the look of it, sent to the scrapheap and put outta its misery!"

"I heard that!" A voice shouted from behind the two men, who turned to face a young woman with a bizarre aura about her "that's MY ship you're taking cracks at!" She said defensively.

"Er… sorry miss! My younger colleague 'ere can be quite inconsiderate sometimes!"

The woman chuckled "It's alright, anyway I just came over here to tell you to be careful with her, she's tough, but sensitive if you don't know how to pilot her. If you have any trouble moving her, you can reach me here…"

She handed them a scrap of paper and walked away

"I mean it, BE CAREFUL WITH HER! We've been through a lot together and she means a lot to me!" She called back as she was joined by a small green and white droid.

"Ey, look 'ere!" The older technician said as he read the scrap of paper.

"What is it?" Said the other

"Look at th' name she gave!"

"What's so strange 'bout it?"

"Th' last name, it ain't that common, innit?"

"So? It's probably just a coincidence"

"Ah, whaddaya know anyway?" The old man scoffed as he shrugged away his associate.

He looked back down at the paper, he thought he recognized the woman from somewhere… but the name she gave him made things even stranger. 

_R. Skywalker_


	2. Star Gazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey surprises Finn at his apartment, and both open up to eachother about being lonely.

Finn had found adjusting to post-war life difficult. All his life he had been fighting in some army. As a Stormtrooper he had been stripped of all identity and reduced to a number. After leaving the First Order and joining the Resistance he was able to cultivate an identity, a proper name, and friends with whom he could trust and rely on. 

But even with the freedom he had there was still a war to fight. Now he was in a peaceful universe and didn't know what to do in it. He immediately ruled out military life, vowing to never return to it. 

Luckily, the New Republic (or was it ‘The New New Republic’?) gave him the chance to seek out a college education and pursue a new career. So Finn enrolled himself at one of Coruscant's universities and started looking into possible jobs, but nothing really suited his fancy. He opted to take some time off to move into his new apartment and settle into his new life before returning to classes.

He couldn't help but find himself feeling lonely. He liked people and tried to socialize with other students, but never was able to. 

He also tried to keep in contact with his friends from the Resistance, but had found it difficult. Poe was doing some secret work for the government, and was totally awol. Meanwhile, Rose had recently made a fortune from a patent for a new fuel compressor, and had been busy with work and building a Fathier ranch on Naboo.

But the one person who usually found time to talk to him on his comlink was Rey. He had hoped that she would enroll with him at the university, but she decided to live a nomadic life and plan for a new academy for force sensitives.

However, trying to keep contact with her had become a lottery with an erratic call schedule, and sometimes she had to end a call prematurely due to an emergency or connection issue.

Finn thought about sending her a quick message just to ask if she was okay when his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He was surprised, as he wasn't expecting any visitors. 

"Just a second!" he said as he put down his mug of tea and walked over to the door, he opened it and was greeted by the sight of the very person he was just thinking about.

Rey beamed at him, "I was worried that I had the wrong address!"  
  
She stood at the door with untidy hair, wearing a grey frock coat, black tunic, white shirt, a chocolate brown wraps worn similarly to her days on Jakku, and she was carrying a dusty old leather satchel and a new lightsaber rebuilt from her staff. 

The two friends immediately went in for a hug and whispered "I missed you" almost in unison 

\-----------

"So how are your classes going?" Rey asked as she sat on Finn's couch.

"Not well," Finn sighed, "I haven't settled in well."

"How come?"

"I just haven't, unfortunately. I'm gonna take a couple semesters off to figure things out. So I-"

He was interrupted by a bump on his shin followed by a sheepish "hello". He looked down and found the perpetrator to be a small cone adorned with antennae and balancing on a single tire.

"Oh! I see you've been looking after D-O!"

"Yeah," Rey chuckled "he's been super helpful, Artoo and Beebee-Ate look after him when I'm not around. He's much more comfortable around people too!" 

As Finn reached his hand to the little droid, D-O began to brush his head against Finn's palm like a friendly cat whilst saying, "friend!"

"So… how are you," Finn asked as he stood back up to face Rey. An expression of earnestness crossing his face.

"I…" she paused, trying to find the right words to say. In truth, she didn't really know how she was doing. After the war had ended and she put her mentor's sabers to rest on Tatooine she thought she could settle into a new life. And yet…

"I've been traveling," she said at last, "in the Falcon!"

"Jedi stuff?" Finn asked. 

"Yeah."

  
  
This was true, but not 100% the case. Rey had been seeking out ancient traces of Jedi and Sith to research for her eventual academy, if she could start one! However, she found herself stuck on what to do. She had also been traveling for other reasons…

"Some Sith stuff as well, I need to get the full picture of Light and Dark, y'know?" she said as Finn stepped into the kitchen to get some tea. His hair was still the same length as it was near the end of the war and kept neat. He was still clean-shaven, and he wore a pair of tidy black trousers and an old blue jacket that Rey had given to him from the Falcon. She couldn't help but feel flattered that Finn was using it.

His apartment was small, with a living room, open kitchen, and a single bed and bathroom. Finn kept it very neat and clean, there wasn't a single speck of dust to be seen. 

_Must be a carry-over from the First Order,_ she thought. As a Stormtrooper, the idea of immaculate cleanliness was drilled into Finn's head from an early age and it was one of the few routines he decided to continue following.

Finn returned to the living room and handed Rey a mug of tea. 

"I'm also looking for a place to live" she sighed as she sipped her tea. 

"You could always move in here!" Finn joked.  
  
Rey couldn't help but consider his offer, even if he wasn't being serious, or was he?

"Hell no!" Rey laughed "If there's one thing I've learned, it's that crowded cities stress me out!"

Finn chuckled "Hey, I don't want to sound odd, but do you want to go up to the roof to do a bit of stargazing?" Finn asked as he scratched the back of his neck. 

"Y'know what? That actually sounds really nice. Let's do it!"

\----

"I know that it's hard to stargaze with all the city lights, but sometimes it's just nice to sit up here and get some air." Finn said as he laid out a blanket and sat.

"Don't worry, being here with you is enough," Rey replied sitting down and gently placing D-O behind her. The little droid rolled forward slightly and leaned against her arm. To get to the roof, they had to climb a small set of stairs. D-O did not want to be away from Rey, so she cradled him like a baby and carried him up.

"It's a clear night," Rey beamed as she stared up, "perfect time to do it!" 

"Yeah," Finn looked up, "I wonder what they're up to."

"What? The stars?"

"Well, I meant the people living in each star system, but I suppose I could be talking about the stars in a way."

They both laughed and there was a pause. Then Rey looked down and gave a light chuckle. 

"When I was a child on Jakku, I would often spend my nights looking up at the stars and ask myself that same question, and I would pick which ones I would want to visit first when my…" her voice cracked and she closed her eyes. Finn gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, I know what you're gonna say."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I suppose…" she paused, "I suppose I'm fulfilling that dream now. Just...without them."

There was a long silence. 

"Rey, I need you to be honest with me, are you lonely?"

"Yes" she whispered. 

"Have you talked to Luke or Leia about it?" He asked "or even… Ben?"

After Exegol, Finn was the first person Rey told about Ben. She told him everything, their dyad and their ability to communicate through it, their encounters, Ben's return to Exegol, Rey being saved from death, and even their kiss.

At first, Finn was shocked, maybe even angry. But he eventually looked beyond it, knowing that Ben was the victim of a dark manipulation from Palpatine and Snoke, and being glad that he saved his friend from death.

"I haven't talked to them about it. As for Ben… he's vanished. When he… passed on, I felt him tell me that-" she sniffed, holding back tears, "t-that he would always be with me, but I haven't heard anything from him since then."  
  
She wiped her eyes and looked over at Finn. "Sorry, I don't want to bring you down…"

"Hey, you don't need to apologize." He said gently "I'll be here for you. After all, that's what pals do."

She gave a small smile, and asked "Are you?" 

"Am I what?"

"Lonely?"

Finn closed his eyes and took a deep breath "Yes, I am. I haven't been able to meet people and I've felt so… isolated." He felt the warmth of Rey's hand touch his, and he looked at her.

"It's okay. I'm here for you, we're pals, remember?" 

"Listen, Rey…" Finn shifted himself closer to her, his heart racing, "there's something I should tell you, I should've told you a long time ago…" 

This was it, he was going to tell her everything. No more skirting around it. He was going to talk about all of the feelings he had for her since that fateful day they met on Jakku.

"Finn, I… I think I know what you're going to say"

"You do?" Finn's eyes went alight

"Yes… and that's part of the reason I'm here. I know you are able to feel the force!"

Finn's stomach dropped, he knew now that he couldn't tell her what he really wanted to say, he didn't want to ruin her excitement. But he admitted to himself that this too needed to be addressed anyway. 

"H-how did you know," he asked, she leaned closer to him. 

"A feeling," she whispered, "Would you like me to teach you?"

"Yes please," Finn beamed "When do we start?"

"Well, not immediately. When my school is ready."

"Oh," Finn looked disappointed and lay back down, "does that mean you'll be leaving again?"

Rey looked back at Finn, she wanted to stay with him. At the moment she couldn't help but find herself relaxed. And for the first time in a year, she felt… not lonely, at home. But she knew that she couldn't stay, she had too much to do, but, perhaps there was another way…

"Run away with me" she whispered. 

"What?" Finn sat back up. 

"You heard! I want you to travel with me, see the galaxy!"

"You mean it?" He smiled. 

"Hell yeah! It's a big universe! What's the point in seeing it if you can't share it with a pal?"

"Yes! I want to!"

Rey leaned ever closer to him, "then pack your toothbrush and grab your coat," she whispered with excitement.


	3. Running Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Finn run off to see the galaxy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hullo! This chapter is gonna be shorter than the last

As they ran to the spaceport, Finn couldn't help but be overcome with a sense of giddiness.

This  _ had  _ to be a dream. He was finally able to run away with his best friend. And she seemed just as excited about it as he was, judging from the spring in her step as she ran down the street with him, D-O behind them trying to keep up. 

He slung his duffel bag back from his right to his left shoulder when they stopped at the port's entrance. Earlier, Rey had helped him pack despite his objections. 

"What? Are you afraid of me seeing your boxers in your dresser?" She asked a flustered Finn "Don't feel embarrassed. I don't have a problem with it, I just want to help you get ready, that's all!"

They stepped up to the port's main reception area. 

"Yes? How may I be of assistance, miss?" asked an elderly clerk adjusting their spectacles to look at Rey. 

"I'm here to collect my ship!" Rey announced with gusto as she slapped her ticket and a handful of credits on the counter.

"Ah, yes!" The clerk said looking over the ticket "I remember your ship, that would be in bay C dock 5"

"Thank you!" Finn said as he turned and began to walk away, Rey laughed. 

"Uh, Finn? Finn, Wait up! I still need to get my change!"

\---

"I'm sorry about the mess, I'll tidy up everything as soon as I can." 

The Falcon's main hold was littered with stacks of paper, books, and notepads, it looked like the inside of an office had exploded. 

"What's with all this stuff, anyway?" Finn asked. He picked up a fat hardcover book entitled  _ The Fourth Great Schism: How Dogmatic Disagreements Caused the Rise of the Sith _ . 

"It's for research," Rey replied while taking Finn's duffel bag, "I want to know everything I can about the force's followers throughout history. That way, I know what to follow and what to avoid when I start teaching students.” 

"Like me?" Finn asked jokingly, Rey couldn't help but smile. 

"Yeah! Like you."

Finn opened the book, "All the same, this is a lot of reading, are you doing this all on your own?"

"I've had help, Beaumont let me borrow his books, and he gave me some notes to look over."

"Beaumont Kin? I didn't know he studied this kind of stuff, I thought he just studied general history stuff."

He put the book back and turned around to be greeted by a small orange and white ball excitedly beeping at him. 

"BB-8," he exclaimed, "it's good to see you, buddy." He patted his dome "Is he okay being away from Poe?"

"Oh, sure! He misses him, but he's still enjoying his time here."    
  
Rey then whispered, "To be honest, Poe and I joke about who Bee-bee's favorite 'parent' is."

"I see." He smiled

"Bee-bee Ate, could you go check on Artoo and help him repair the navigation please?" She asked calmly. BB-8 gave a happy beep and rolled out of the room, closely followed by D-O.

"I can take your stuff to your room if you want," Rey offered. 

"Oh, no, you don't have to," Finn took his bag back. 

"Ah okay, I'll go to the cockpit then and prepare for takeoff. Oh! I just realized, I could give you a couple lessons while we're out and about. It won't be anything in-depth, just some basic mind exercises."

"Sounds great, crew quarters are down that hall, correct?"

"Yeah, second door to the right."

As she watched him walk away, she couldn't help but think back to their conversation on the roof. Naturally, she was happy that he finally told her about his ability to feel the force, but at the same time, she wished that he had told her a different secret. She hoped that perhaps they shared the same feelings

That maybe he loved her like she loved him.

She brushed those thoughts away, however. She had to get ready to leave Coruscant. She sat down in the pilot's seat and gave the request to take off. 

As they left the ground and exited the planet's atmosphere, Rey couldn't help but be thrilled. Somehow, the sensation of being liberated from the ground and soaring through the air and across space was just as exciting now as it was the first-time.    


_ Perhaps it reminds me of leaving Jakku,  _ she mused to herself.  _ I dunno, I'm not a psychologist! _

"Oh! We're already in space." A voice said, and Rey looked over her shoulder to find Finn walking in and sitting down next to her.

"We're ready to jump to lightspeed. Would you care to do the honors?" She gestured to the throttle.

"You're the pilot, you should," Finn smiled. 

"Together?" She laid her hand on the throttle.

"Hell yeah!" He placed his hand over hers.

All around them, the stars began to stretch back, and the Falcon shot away into a tunnel of light.

The two friends were off to take on the universe together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This is part one of a series that I am writing and I hope to have more installments for you to read soon!
> 
> Cheers!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope to get the next chapter up soon!


End file.
